The iSimangaliso elephants

Each year the iSimangaliso elephants seem to give visitors and park staff a festive season thrill. December 2015 saw a small group of bulls take a walkabout around the Dukuduku Gate late each afternoon, almost succeeding in leaving the park altogether on one occasion before CEO Andrew Zaloumis swiftly sealed the exit gate – his “last official duty for 2015”.

December 2016 was the same. Visitors on the Lake St Lucia Estuary boat cruise got more than they expected when four bulls took a leisurely swim in the lake narrows among the resident hippos and crocodiles.

Skipper Dennis Roberts of Shoreline Boat Safaris remarked that he and boat guests have seen the elephants swimming across the lake narrows a few times in recent months. Elephants are confident swimmers and often cross between the Western Shores and Eastern Shores sections of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Elephants are confident swimmers and often cross between the western and eastern shore sections of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Bulls frolic in St Lucia’s waters near the watchful eyes of tourists

Not to be outdone, two leopards and a pack of hyena feasting on a kudu also presented themselves to game drive operators Rick and Elise Stadler of Safari and Surf Tours when they took a group onto the eastern shores for a snorkel trip.

A majestic leopard steals the attention the elephants are receivingA small group of curious hyenas surprise tourists with a visit

Facts about the iSimangaliso elephants:

• iSimangaliso has approximately 200 elephants – 100 in the uMkhuze section and 100 in the south.

• The southern herds, which are loosely broken into three breeding herds, frequent the western shores but regularly cross to the east. A few breakaway bulls tend to wander off on their own.